


Don't Turn Out The Lights

by Kayim



Category: Leverage
Genre: Episode Related, Episode: S04e07 The Grave Danger Job, Gen, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-24
Updated: 2012-11-24
Packaged: 2017-11-19 10:48:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/572443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kayim/pseuds/Kayim
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Somehow Eliot knows that Alec's not ready to be by himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Turn Out The Lights

**Author's Note:**

> In my re-watch of the episodes, I ended up at The Grave Danger Job, in which Hardison is buried alive by the bad guys. As always, I was in tears by the end, especially when he clung to Eliot, and Eliot damn well held on just as tight.
> 
> And then I realized there was no way Eliot would have left Hardison alone that night.

He's glad it's not Parker who knocks on his door that evening. If it was her, there would be emotions and tears and feelings, and he's not sure he can deal with that, not now. He supposes he should be surprised that Eliot's the one who's sought him out, but he's not. If anyone on the team knows what it's like to be kidnapped and near death, it will be their hitter.

When he opens the door, Eliot is standing there with a DVD in one hand and a 2 liter bottle of orange soda in the other. He's got a look on his face that Alec doesn't see that often, but he recognizes it well enough.

"I'm okay," he lies in answer to the unspoken question, forcing a smile and standing aside so Eliot doesn't have to push his way in. He already knows that Eliot's not going to go anywhere else, so he may as well make things easier on them both. "I was just going to get an early night and…. you know."

His voice trails off as Eliot sets himself onto the sofa, kicks his boots off and puts his feet up on the coffee table, just inches from Alec's favorite laptop. "That's fine," Eliot says, reaching for the TV remote and starting to flick through the channels. "I'll just be here."

Alec turns for a moment and looks over at his bedroom, considering the possibility of laying in the dark, on a padded bed, and shakes his head to force the memories away. He doesn't care how tired he is, he doesn't think he's going to be able to sleep in there, not tonight at least. He grabs the DVD from the sofa and stares at the cover.

"Terminator? Of all the movies you could have brought to watch, you just _happened_ to select the one film that you know I love more than any other?"

Eliot shrugs. "Just figured you might want some company for a bit."

He doesn't say any more, just twists the top off the soda bottle and takes a drink, grimacing as he swallows the artificially colored sugary pop. "Damnit Hardison, how can you drink this stuff?"

With a smile – real this time - Alec slides the DVD into the player and settles himself on the sofa, close enough that he could reach out and grab Eliot's hand if he wanted to. Which he doesn't want to, not really, but it's good to know that he could if he did. 

The film starts, and Alec feels himself finally able to relax as the familiar characters fill the screen. Neither of them talk, but they're less than 20 minutes in and Alec has to lean his head back and just close his eyes, for a second. With Arnold Schwarzenegger's voice egging him on, he starts to drift, the overly tense muscles in his body beginning to ease.

The sounds from the film fade away and Alec isn't aware of anything, only the darkness and the softness of the sofa as he sinks into it. 

He jerks awake, bolt upright, his hands clenched into tight fists, his eyes wide.

"Hardison, it's okay." He's aware of Eliot's voice, but it feels distance and tinny, as though it's on the end of a phone, and that doesn't help him in the slightest. 

"Hardison. Alec."

This time the voice is clearer, softer though, and Alec thinks to himself that it doesn't sound like Eliot, not really. 

It's not until he feels Eliot's hand on his arm that he snaps awake properly. His fists are still clenched, and he can feel Eliot gripping his arm tightly, holding on as though he expects Hardison to fall away somewhere. Alec can hear harsh breathing in his ear, and for an instant he gets ready to tell whichever one of the team is heavy breathing over the earbud to stop it. But he remembers that he's not wearing a bud, and there's only him and Eliot in the apartment. 

He knows it won't be Eliot sounding so panicked, so he concludes that it must be him. The realization is less surprising than it should be. It's been a day filled with surprises, so it's also no surprise that he's not surprised.

"Alec." 

When Eliot says his again, he realizes that he was talking – or rambling might be more accurate – out loud and he stops, clamping a hand over his mouth. He turns to look at Eliot, ready to apologize for being so needy and damaged. But instead of the scowl and head-shaking that he expects, he sees only pain on Eliot's face.

"I'm sorry," Eliot tells him quietly. "I should have been there. I should have been able to stop them. I should have found you quicker."

Alec wants to hit him. Instead he shakes his head. "You can't always protect all of us. It wasn't your fault. And I'm fine."

The last part is a lie, but it's one that they both need to hear right now, and Eliot doesn't pull him up on it. Instead, he reaches one arm across the back of the sofa and offers Alec the bottle of soda. Alec doesn't think too hard about his actions, doesn't want to have to think at all anymore, so he slides across the seat before he's aware of what he's doing, and presses himself tightly in next to Eliot. Their bodies are touching from leg to shoulder, and Eliot lets his arm drop down gently, so his hand is on the back of Alec's neck. 

This time they make it to almost the end of the film before Alec drifts off, his head on Eliot's shoulder, Eliot's arm wrapped tightly around him. 

Safe.


End file.
